Graduate Certificate in Canine Sports Medicine

The Graduate Certificate in Canine Sports Medicine is designed to provide you, the veterinary practitioner, with the knowledge, skills and attributes required for the veterinary care of racing and breeding greyhounds and other canine athletes. Our programme will be of interest if in your veterinary practice you currently (or plan to) work with racing greyhounds, assist at race meetings, or provide advice on welfare and breeding for owners.

• Duration: 12 months
• Starting: This course runs subject to demand. It is currently on hiatus and will not run in the 2022-23 academic year.
• Contact: Sue Rackard
• Fees: Fees Information

As the Graduate Certificate in Canine Sports Medicine programme is delivered largely online, applicants should have access to a computer and basic IT skills (e.g. the ability to browse the internet, use email and word processing applications etc.) 

What will I learn from the Graduate Certificate in Canine Sports Medicine?
The Graduate Certificate in Canine Sports Medicine is designed to provide veterinary practitioners with the knowledge, skills and attributes required for the veterinary care of racing and breeding greyhounds, and other canine athletes.

How will I benefit from the Graduate Certificate in Canine Sports Medicine?
Having completed the programme participants will have:

• An understanding of the Greyhound industry in Ireland and internationally
• Knowledge of the duties and responsibilities of the veterinarian in caring for racing greyhounds
• Understanding of biomechanics and the influence of track design on racing performance
• Knowledge and understanding of legislation on drug use, withdrawal times and doping of racing greyhounds

What is the Graduate Certificate in Canine Sports Medicine programme about?
Upon successful completion students will have the ability to:

• Conduct a systematic clinical examination of the greyhound for musculoskeletal injury
• Diagnose common canine sports injuries
• Advise on the husbandry, welfare, nutrition and breeding of racing greyhounds
• Diagnose and treat diseases and injuries in racing and breeding greyhounds and to provide advice on welfare issues
• Apply surgical principles and perform common surgical procedures effectively, with emphasis on musculoskeletal injuries
• Advise on reproduction in greyhounds and other sports animals including sled dogs and trail hounds
• Make judgments on relevant ethical and animal welfare issues

Delivery

The Graduate Certificate in Canine Sports Medicine programme is largely delivered online therefore access to reliable internet and knowledge of basic IT skills will be necessary. A number of hands on practical workshops will be delivered on the UCD campus during the year. These workshops will be delivered by experienced Veterinarians with many years experience of the canine industry.  You will have access to an experienced IT administrator to assist with any queries relating to the delivery of the programme.

In each module (Introduction to Canine Sports Medicine, Canine Clinical Pathology and Pharmacology, Orthopaedics and Soft Tissue Injuries, Reproduction and Breeding, Dissertation, Case Log) materials for self-directed learning will be provided to students, and this will be supplemented by online formative assessment exercises.

A total of 30 ECTS credits will be required to complete the programme.

Admission

This course runs subject to demand, please contact Sue Rackard for further information.

Applications can be made online at www.ucd.ie/apply
Applicants must possess a degree in veterinary medicine registerable with the Veterinary Council of Ireland www.vci.ie
Non-UCD Graduates must provide transcripts of degree(s).